NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he is anticipating construction beginning on the Islanders’ planned new arena at Belmont Park this summer.
“I’m expecting to be at a groundbreaking sometime in the next few months,” Bettman said at the Associated Press Sports Editors meeting in Manhattan on Friday.
Bettman said in February that he expected the arena’s groundbreaking to occur in May or June. When the commissioner was reminded of those comments, Bettman said on Friday, “May, June, July -- we’re somewhere in that range.
“It’s still coming. I have no reason to believe it’s not.”
The Islanders’ arena project, which also includes a 250-room hotel and 435,000-square feet of retail, is going through a lengthy environmental review stage.